Enhancing Elderly Well-Being: The Impact of Neighborhood Aging on Urban Park Use in U.S. Cities Using a Big Data Approach

Keywords: Urban parks; Mobile device data; Aging problem; A big data approach
Abstract Type: Virtual Paper Abstract

Abstract

With the acceleration of the global aging process and the gradual increase in the proportion of elderly people in cities, the quality of life and health of the elderly has raised widespread concern. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of the degree of aging in U.S. neighborhoods on the frequency of urban park visits, and to further analyze the role of accessibility and green coverage in this process. This study uses a big data approach that incorporates mobility data from mobile devices in major U.S. cities. We chose the top 25 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) with the highest population in the U.S. Based on the United Nations standards, the neighborhoods were classified into different aging levels (i.e.·Mild aging: When 7% to 14% of the total population is aged 65 or older. Moderate aging: When the proportion of people aged 65 and above is 14% to 21%. High aging: When the elderly population exceeds 21% of the total population.). We performed an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to assess the difference in urban park use among the neighborhoods with different aging levels. We also assessed the preference of the aging neighborhoods to access parks of different attributes. The results showed that the degree of aging of a neighborhood is positively correlated with the frequency of park visits, and the higher the degree of aging of a neighborhood, the higher the frequency of park visits by its residents. This study provides implications for policymakers to improve the quality of life of the elderly.